Method for fabricating bag-in-box package

Abstract

For the fabrication of a bag-in-box (BIB) package, there is first provided a semifinished, collapsed BIB package wherein a flattened bag is placed within a collapsed box and secured to at least one of its inside surfaces by means of an adhesive. After erecting the package, the bag is inflated into close internal contact with the box by introducing a gas under pressure through a fitment attached to the bag and projecting outwardly of the box. The opposite ends of the box are closed with sets of foldable end flaps, with the aid of an adhesive. Preferably, the bag is further secured to the inside surfaces of a pair of opposed ones of the four bottom end flaps of the box. The opposed pair of bottom flaps are held folded out during the introduction of the pressurized gas into the bag, in order that the bottom end portion of the inflated bag may make neat contact with the inside surfaces of the box. There is also disclosed herein an apparatus for thus fabricating the BIB package.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of fabricating a bag-in-box package which comprises: (a) providing a semifinished bag-in-box package, in a collapsed state, which comprises (1) a box having a set of four panels foldably connected together to form a rectangular tube, a set of four top flaps foldably connected to the respective panels for conjointly closing one end of the rectangular tube, and a set of four bottom flaps also foldably connected to the respective panels for conjointly closing the other end of the rectangular tube,   (2) a bag disposed within the box and formed by two substantially rectangular, superposed layers of flexible material hermetically sealed together,   (3) adhesive means securing one of the layers of the bag to at least one of the inside surfaces of the box, and adhesive means securing the bag to the inside surfaces of a pair of opposed ones of said bottom flaps;     (b) erecting the semifinished, collapsed bag-in-box package, the bag within the erected box being bent into the shape of a U;   (c) inflating the bag into close internal contact with the box while said pair of opposed bottom flaps are folded outwardly into approximately right angular relationship with the panels to which they are connected, thereby folding into triangular shape the end portions of the bag adhered to said pair of opposed bottom flaps, and while said other end of the rectangular tube and the corresponding end of the bag, including its triangularly folded portions, are held against a flat surface; and   (d) closing the opposite ends of the rectangular tube, formed by the panels of the erected box, with the sets of top and bottom flaps.   
     
     
       2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bag is inflated by introducing a gas under pressure into the bag through a fitment attached to one of its superposed layers, the fitment projecting outwardly of the box. 
     
     
       3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the fitment has an end seal for holding the bag hermetically closed before its inflation, and wherein the bag is inflated after opening the end seal. 
     
     
       4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the fitment projects outwardly of the box through a bevel flap foldably connected between one of the panels and the corresponding one of the top flaps, and wherein the bag is inflated after closing said one end of the rectangular tube with the set of top flaps and the bevel flap. 
     
     
       5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the flat surface is resiliently yieldable. 
     
     
       6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the other pair of opposed bottom flaps of the box are held infolded to close said other end of the rectangular tube during the inflation of the bag.